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The UK's three national dance companies create work and perform together for the first time in 2012 |
In 2012, Dance GB sees three national dance companies from the UK – English National Ballet, National Dance Company Wales and Scottish Ballet – celebrating the Olympics in a unique creative collaboration. Echoing the British Olympic team, Team GB, Dance GB takes the Olympic ideals of “faster, higher, stronger” and translates them into an inspirational production performed in Glasgow, Cardiff and London. The tour will visit Glasgow’s Theatre Royal and Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, while the final performances will be held in the historic grounds of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.In a dance celebration which unites the nations, Dance GB sees each company commissioning one of the world’s great contemporary choreographers. The three new works are performed together in a display of the strengths and versatility of the dancers of the three companies, showcasing the enormous dance talent which is nurtured and developed within Britain today. The three choreographers are: for National Dance Company Wales, Christopher Bruce CBE, whose appointments include direction of Rambert Dance Company and Resident Choreographer at English National Ballet; for Scottish Ballet, Martin Lawrance, who has created work for Richard Alston, Southbank Centre and The Place; and for English National Ballet, Itzik Galili whose work is performed by Dutch National Ballet, Batsheva Dance Company, Netherlands Dance Theatre II, Rambert Dance Company and National Dance Company Wales amongst others. Ann Sholem, Artistic Director of National Dance Company Wales said: “We are very proud to be part of Dance GB, which is a great opportunity for us to be a part of the London 2012 Olympics and to showcase the tremendous dance talent in Britain today.” A dancer and choreographer, Christopher Bruce was Artistic Director of Rambert Dance Company, Resident Choreographer at English National Ballet and has choreographed work for Rambert, Houston Ballet, Netherlands Dance Theatre and Cullberg Ballet. He was made CBE in 1998. “We are delighted to work with Christopher, who has enjoyed such a successful career,” said Ann. “I know his work will be exceptional and mesmerising – just what you would expect from an internationally-renowned choreographer.” Scottish Ballet’s work will feature designs by Glasgow born, Turner Prize-nominated Martin Boyce. Boyce first worked with the Company in a session of choreographic workshops exploring the relationship between dance and visual art last year, and his work is currently being exhibited at The Turner Prize 2011 show at BALTIC, Gateshead. Ashley Page, Artistic Director of Scottish Ballet on commissioning Martin Lawrance, “Developing younger choreographers has always been important at Scottish Ballet, and it's in this capacity that I have been watching Martin Lawrance's work over the past few years. He has been steadily growing in maturity and originality under the guidance of Richard Alston. It is a great pleasure to be able to provide Martin with another opportunity to grow as a creative artist, and we are greatly looking forward to working with him” Itzik Galili’s new work for English National Ballet And the Earth shall bear again takes English National Ballet’s dancers out of their comfort zone and stretches the boundaries of traditional classical ballet. The work is performed to music for Prepared Piano by John Cage and features a host of young talent from across the world, with ten nations being represented. Senior Principals Elena Glurdjidze, Erina Takahashi, and Fernanda Oliviera are amongst the dancers performing, as well as rising stars Vadim Muntagirov, Ksenia Ovsyanick, Esteban Berlanga and Laurretta Summerscales. Alongside the performances, learning teams from each of three Companies will work together to produce Dancing Parallel, a national project bringing together 60 young people from Aberdeen, Cardiff and London. The young dancers will work with professional dance artists from the three companies over eight months, developing new skills including ballet, parkour and contemporary dance working towards a dance film, directed by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Nic Sandiland to be shown alongside Dance GB. Sandiland will be inspired by the young dancers’ views on their home towns, fusing the grace, energy and power of all the different dance styles being explored. Dance GB is proud to be part of the Cultural Olympiad Full Listings Glasgow Theatre Royal www.scottishballet.co.uk 19 June 7.30pm (National Press Night) 20 - 23 June 7.30pm 23 June 2.30pm Wales Millennium Centre www.ndcwales.co.uk 28 – 30 June 7.30pm Big Top Tent, Royal Naval College, Greenwich www.ballet.org.uk 4 – 7 July 7.30pm 8 July 2.30pm |
| National Dance Company Wales web site: www.ndcwales.co.uk |
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Tuesday, October 25, 2011 |
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